Category Archives: running

It’s no secret to dailymilers that running has its health benefits. We’ve heard pretty much all of them from weight loss, and desease prevention, to perfecting memory and brain health. Tack another one onto the list, running also helps us live longer. According to a study from the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation, running helps us live almost 6 1/2 years longer than non runners. It could be the lifestyle change that comes naturally when you make lacing … Continue reading →

A few months ago I started to think about what I was going to do to celebrate my thirtieth birthday. The first thing that came to mind was running thirty miles. To me, it was a no-brainer. To my friends and family, it was crazy. I’ve never run more than a marathon before, but this distance on this particular day was bigger than any race I had completed or was going to start. “Running thirty miles on my thirtieth birthday … Continue reading →

We all have important running goals – some are lofty like running your first marathon while others are simple like “run at least four days this week.” Usually the big goals are accomplished after weeks or months of achieving your little goals, like running consistently or making sure you do a strength workout twice a week. Running has a cumulative effective and after a few months, you’ll be a lot stronger and faster! It’s fascinating to see which runners regularly … Continue reading →

Although I’ve been a casual runner most of my adult life, I only started entering races in the summer of 2010. (In fact, it was a dailymile friend, now a real world running buddy, who inspired me to start racing. Don’t you just love that about this place?) I didn’t run in high school or college, so never benefited from the advice of a track coach. Published twenty years ago, Running Injury Free was the only such book I ever … Continue reading →

There’s something wonderful to be said about a great run on a beautiful day with nothing but the sound of your feet on the pavement, the sound of breath moving through your lungs, and the feeling of strength behind each foot strike. But let’s be real. How often does that actually happen? Exactly. More often than not, if left to my own devices, which I often am, I’m not going to get my butt out the door without a fight. … Continue reading →

As a coach, I don’t ask for a lot. I’m not worried about the genetic makeup of my athletes, as I think that everyone has the potential to become a better, faster runner with a smart approach. Sure, it would be fun to coach someone to run a 2:20 marathon (or run one myself?), but it’s just as fun to coach someone to run a sub-30 5k for the first time…or even run 3 miles for the first time. This … Continue reading →

Since it’s March, everything needs to be turned into a win-or-go-home tournament competition. Running workouts will be no exception. This bracket helps illustrate that there’s more to running than just a standard, straight-ahead, moderate-pace jog. You can and should be mixing up your workouts to use different muscles and avoid burn-out. Here’s some quick definitions of each type of run. Mile repeats Typically done on a track, these 4-lap intervals are typically run at roughly 10K race pace with 1-3 … Continue reading →

I get asked what my training philosophy is on a regular basis. My usual response is, “Nothing gimmicky: ‘Don’t Do Anything Stupid.’” That pretty much sums up my approach to my own training and what I try to impart upon my athletes. But that’s really not prescriptive or tremendously helpful for a newcomer to the running scene or to an experienced runner looking for their next breakthrough. Here is a bit of an expanded view of “Don’t Do Anything Stupid.” … Continue reading →

A good friend of mine recently had a breakthrough time on a three-mile run. Like most runners, this only whetted his appetite to keep improving. He emailed me for some advice on pacing. “When you run for time/distance,” he asked, “do you run at the same pace the entire time or do you sprint for sections of the run?” The larger question here is how and when should you step it up and get outside your comfort zone. Even if … Continue reading →